Dog Bleeding After Spay - Causes

The sterilization of a dog is an issue that worries many caregivers. You might already know about the advantages of this surgery, but with these, come some side effects of canine sterilization. These negative effects of spaying, castration or other reproductive alterations could, at times, result in a negative impact on a canine. This impact could result both physically or psychologically. You may be wondering, if my dog is bleeding after spay, is my dog bleeding internally? There are several different reasons your dog may be bleeding from their spay incision.

Although bleeding after dog sterilization doesn’t always happen, a dog that has recently been spayed/castrated can experience bloody discharge or bruising. For this reason, here at AnimalWised we will be discussing why your dog is bleeding after being spayed or neutered?

Dog neutering - What is it?

Before explaining if it is normal for a dog to bleed after being spayed, we recommend understanding what exactly dog spaying means. In order to do this, one needs to understand the difference between between sterilization of a male dog and sterilization of a female dog[1].

Although there are several techniques of sterilizing a dog, we will refer to the two most common forms:

Sterilization of a male dog: Castration of a a male dog is a simpler intervention than that of a bitch. This is because a male dog’s genitals are found outside of its body. A veterinarian will make an incision at the base of the penis, through which he/she will extract the testicles. This incision is usually closed again with a couple of visible or non-visible stitches, which are later removed.

Sterilization of a female dog: Spaying a female dog is done through an incision in the abdomen. A veterinarian will extract the ovaries and uterus, normally arranged in the form of a Y shape. The different layers are sutured both internally externally, and are often not visible. The incision can also be closed with staples.

In the cases of both neutering and spaying, the wound needs to be protected. After-care of spaying and castration both require keeping the wound covered, making sure that the dog does not; lick, scratch or bite the wound. To avoid this, your veterinarian can give provide your dog with an E-collar. For more, take a look at our article on; How To Stop A Dog Scratching A Wound.

In addition, it is important to keep your dog’s wound clean while it heals. A professional will be able to administer the appropriate cleaning medication and disinfectant.

Dog bleeding after being spayed - Is it normal?

When removing a dog’s uterus, ovaries; an incision is always made. It is normal that at times this incision will result in light bleeding during intervention and or dog bleeding after surgery. This bleeding is normally controlled by the veterinarian performing the surgery.

During a dog’s postoperative period, due to the incision and manipulation that has recently occurred, it is normal that the surrounding area will be covered/surrounded by a red or purple hue. This is otherwise known as a hematoma; blood that remains under the skin, causing a bruise like effect.

At times, this wound can also appear inflamed. In this case, female dog bleeding after spaying is normal. This is often largely due to a fallen stitch, that hasn’t yet closed the wound. In this case, the bleeding will be minimal, remitting in seconds.

Bleeding after spaying a dog - should I be worried?

While minimal bleeding after a dog’s surgery is normal, there are some cases in which more than minimal bleeding is not normal. If your dog is bleeding after being spayed, the amount of blood present needs to be analyzed. Take a look at these cases in which the bleeding should be attended too;

When bleeding comes from a specific external point or area, such as stitches or staples, it might be because they have been detached. In this case, a veterinarian will have to re-suture the entire incision. If there is excessive bleeding with an evident open wound, it needs to be attended to by a professional immediately. If not, some organs could fall out of the incision. In addition, an open wound heightens the risk of infection.

Bleeding can also be internal. Is your dog bleeding internally? If your female dog is bleeding a lot after being spayed, other symptoms may be noticed. These signs include; pale mucous membranes, apathy or a drop in body temperature. Such symptoms also require immediate veterinary attention, as they can result in shock.

If the bruises caused by sterilization are not extensive, remit and are not painful for your animal: veterinarian consultation is not required. However, if your dog feels pain and is experiencing excessive bleeding after being spayed, we recommend visiting your veterinarian as soon as possible.

If your dog is bleeding after neutering or spaying, be sure to again, consult a specialist.

Dog bleeding from vulva after spay : Ovian remnant syndrome

Another case of post-operative bleeding in dogs, occurs when a dog manifests bleeds after being spayed, as if experiencing heat. Is your female spayed dog bleeding from vulva? It is not normal for a female dog to bleed after being spayed. A female dog that has been spayed should no longer experience heat.

Is your female dog bleeding after spaying? If so, be sure to contact your veterinarian. There is a chance that your dog is suffering from ovarian remnant syndrome. This condition means that not all of her ovarian tissue was removed during her canine oophorectomy surgery. This left-over tissue could be releasing a small amount of hormones, thereby tricking your bitch’s body into thinking it is in heat; somewhat of a cycle trigger[2]. Another possibility is that if your dog was spayed while in heat, or just before she was about to go into heat, she might bleed from her vulva.

Any other female dog bleeding from vulva symptoms can be an indication of pathology. A dog bleeding from her vagina may indicate problems such as urine infections. The blood you may be seeing could be coming from her urinary tract rather than her spay incision. In addition, spayed dogs are more prone to suffering from UTI’s, specifically just after being spayed. However, if you believe your dog is suffering from a urine infection, we recommend consulting your veterinarian, as untreated urine infections in dogs may lead to other more severe health problems, such as kidney infections in dogs. For more, keep reading; Why Is My Dog Bleeding From Her Vagina?

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to Dog Bleeding After Spay - Causes, we recommend you visit our Other health problems category.

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